AN- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here! Well… I'm actually pretty happy I'm finally getting this fic up. This was one of the VERY FIRST fics I ever made, right alongside The Dark Savior and The Ghost and the Raven. I have always wanted to post this fic, but when I was first starting out (back when I was innocent XP), I thought this fic was 'too bloody' to be posted. Feh. Not any more! XD lol. This fic will be bloody though, so I must warn you for that. This fic will take place during the early The Ghost and the Raven's storyline, as in, it'll include Ibeyla and Obscura. Remember, this fic was written back in March of last year, so the first few chapters will not be of my best quality. This is one of my favorite fics; I've always wanted to get it up, so this is special. Again, this was one of my first real attempts at fanfiction, so it won't be my best, but it has that little 'vintage ShadowRebirth37' charm to it. ;D This first chap won't be good, but I needed to start with a talky chappy to get y'all introduced. Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter 1- A Simple Mission!
Disclaimer- Nope, Zoids isn't mine. I do, however, own this fic, the storyline, the plot, the 'predatory instincts', and all my OCs. :)
Note- as you read, you will come across a few markings like this [*]. These are names/statements/events/things that I will explain at the end of the chapter. And, the italicized part is Shadow dreaming. The dream will be bloody, disturbing and creepy. Remember, dreams aren't usually straightforward, so this one is going to be a little odd. ^^; Oh, and Raven will seem slightly OOC around Ibeyla and sometimes Shadow, but I feel that its necessary, after all, we all know he's not evil deep down, and he's known Ibeyla for awhile, so they're pretty close. Also, this takes place two years before the anime, so CC's storyline hasn't started yet.
.:Chapter 1- A Simple Mission:.
Prozen stood silently at the head of the meeting room, his hands behind his back, pacing in a line, obviously on-edge. The atmosphere of the room was tense, the air seeming to just brim with apprehension. All of the occupants of the room wore serious expressions… well, except two.
"These bandits have disrupted several Imperial bases and have stolen dozens of classified weapons and projects. They have even become so brazen as to attack Imperial platoons and have been plaguing our trade routes. We must stop them." Prozen lectured, glancing at the people attending before he went back to pacing.
He stopped at the head of the table and looked at his audience. Harding, Marcus, Sepers and the Schubaltz brothers were watching intently. Two of the group, however, were not as enthralled with the minister's speech. Raven had his feet up on the table and was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, head down and eyes closed. Ibeyla, who was sitting in the chair beside him, was tracing shapes on the table's mirror surface, humming softly to Obscura, who was curled up at her feet.
"Raven…" Prozen said sternly, narrowing his eyes slightly at his 'foster' son. Raven opened an eye and looked at him blankly, obviously not caring what he had to say in the slightest. "I want you to take Shadow and Ibeyla and dispose of these rebels. I need everyone else here for the assault on the frontlines." Ibeyla lifted her head at her name and stopped humming.
"Did you hear me, Ibeyla?" Prozen asked lightly, showing much more patience with the young Zoidian than he did with Raven. Ibeyla smiled sheepishly, a clear sign that she hadn't. "I want you to go with Raven and dispose of the bandits that have been plaguing our convoys. You need to get your Zoids ready for immediate departure."
"Okay…" Ibeyla answered nervously, blushing slightly.
"Alright…" Prozen said, looking away from her and to the rest of his audience, "… meeting dismissed." Everyone stood and began to make their way towards the exit. "Raven?" Said ebony-haired pilot turned and looked at him. "Can I speak to you alone for a moment?" Raven walked back and sat heavily in his seat.
"What, Prozen?" he said coldly, clearly not wanting to talk.
"I need to tell you some things about Shadow…" Prozen said, a hint of worry in his voice.
"What about him?" Raven snapped, "I already know how he fuses and stuff…"
"Not that, it's something more important… it could threaten your life…" Prozen said more quietly. Raven raised an eyebrow.
"What?" he asked, lacking the coldness in his voice.
"Well… you haven't properly bonded with Shadow…" the minister said, apprehension evident in his tone.
"So?" Raven responded, crossing his arms, quickly losing interest.
"Unbonded Organoids are dangerous, Raven, because they still harbor predatory instincts, meaning if you get injured or sick or show weakness he could attack. If his instincts get control of him he will attack and kill you." Prozen said seriously. Raven was interested now.
"I thought only living creatures had instincts?" Raven inquired, confusion showing on his face.
"The Ancient Zoidians couldn't fully erase the bestial side of the Organoids' nature. Organoids, after all, were not made by the Zoidians, unlike the first combat Zoids were. In the wild, Organoids would hunt, stalk, kill and consume other creatures like a real predator." Prozen said, recalling what the scientists and researchers had told him earlier. Raven blinked and looked at him oddly, having a hard time comprehending that Organoids were like living creatures, for he, after all, saw Shadow as merely a tool.
"How will I be able to tell if Shadow falls under the control of his instincts?" Raven asked, leaning forward in his chair slightly, clearly a little concerned.
"You will see a noticeable change in his behavior: he won't listen to commands, stare silently at anything that is bleeding or hurt, display hunting behavior, begin to shake, and produce a thick, clear liquid in his jaws." Prozen described.
"Liquid?" a hint of disgust showed in Raven's tone, "What's it for?"
"We were unable to determine that from the Ancient Zoidians' writings and carvings." Prozen sighed, "It could be anything; it could be an enzyme, a poison, a lubricant, a tranquilizer, saliva, it could even just be a side effect, but we don't know for sure. It's the easiest warning sign to identify, but it is also the last. When an Organoid starts to secrete that substance, it's too late; the Organoid has claimed you as its prey, and there's no way to reverse the instincts at that point. So you'll need to be careful. If you get hurt or sick, you'll need to get away from him. Since you did manage to tame him, the instincts will be delayed and slightly buffered, but he still won't hesitate to eat you alive."
"Great…" Raven said sarcastically, rolling his eyes, "I'll be sure to keep an eye on him." He got up and started to make his way towards the door.
"Raven wait!" Prozen called after him. Raven turned back and looked at him blankly. "If something happens to you out there; if you get injured or separated from Ibeyla, Shadow will revert, and there won't be anyone to help you; the nearest base or village is days away. You'd be on your own, and you wouldn't stand a chance against him."
"And?" Raven said, not understanding what the man was getting at.
"I want you to keep the restraining collar on Shadow during the mission, just in case something does happen." Raven flinched slightly at the mention of the collar, he hated having it used on his Organoid; even though he didn't care much for Shadow, he didn't like seeing him tortured and in pain. "Also, Ibeyla and Obscura will be with you the entire time, both to help if Shadow gets out of hand and for backup; the bandits have some powerful weapons that can easily destroy your Zaber Fang, and an extra Zaber will help even the odds."
"I'll keep that in mind…" Raven muttered, disappearing through the door, down the hallway towards the Zoids hangar.
Ibeyla stood by the door that led into the Zoids hangar, patting Obscura's snout as she waited for Raven. The pale blue Organoid was growling happily, her amethyst eyes closed and bladed tail wagging happily. The young Zoidian giggled childishly at her Organoid, making the metallic saurian purr loudly. As she was preoccupied petting her Organoid partner, Ibeyla failed to see the two soldiers approaching her from behind.
"Lieutenant Secura! Weren't you just deployed?" came Thomas's familiar voice. Ibeyla shrieked in surprise and spun around, obviously not expecting another person to talk to her.
"Oh… hi Thomas!" Ibeyla said happily, settling down and waving innocently, "And hi too, Karl!" she added, smiling at Major Schubaltz.
"Hello Ms. Secura…" Karl returned the greeting, "… but Thomas has a point, didn't minister Prozen deploy you?"
"He did, I'm just waiting for Raven!" Ibeyla answered, looking down the hallway towards the direction of Raven's quarters, "As soon as he meets me here, we'll be off!"
"I had a hunch you were waiting for Raven, he never seems to be on time…" Karl sighed, making Ibeyla laugh slightly. Obscura snorted and nudged her shoulder, whining quietly, clearly wanting more attention. Obscura's action reminded Ibeyla of something.
"Oh yeah! Thomas!" Ibeyla said suddenly, looking over at the younger Schubaltz, "How is Spectral coming? Is she alright?" the blue-haired Zoidian grew a little nervous when Thomas gulped.
"Well… uhh…" Thomas stalled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "… she's alright, but I haven't made much progress. I've never seen a Zoid like Spectral before, so repairing her is a little difficult. Her gears and joints were seriously decayed by the centuries, and it'll take at least a few more months to just get her systems back online."
"Ahh… that's too bad…" Ibeyla huffed and kicked at the ground slightly, "… but that's alright. You're the best mechanic there is, so I'm sure you'll get her fixed up soon!" she smiled at Thomas, "And I have Ethereal to pilot, so there's no rush."
"Thanks Ibeyla…" Thomas said, blushing slightly, which made the Zoidian giggle. He waved goodbye and turned back down the hallway, towards the research labs, where he had been working on reviving the Zoid Ibeyla had been encapsulated with, Spectral, a rare Desert Panther Zoid.
"Ibeyla, I wanted to ask you something…" Karl said, making Ibeyla look up at him, "Do you have any idea what Prozen wanted to talk to Raven about? From Prozen's voice, it sounded serious…"
"I don't have a clue…" Ibeyla shrugged, "… I thought I heard Gunther* mention Shadow, so maybe it's about him?"
"Who knows…" Karl said, "… thanks anyway. I think I see Raven coming, I guess that means you'll be leaving soon. Good luck on your mission and please be careful, between you, Thomas and Raven, I worry so much I can't believe my hair hasn't turned grey yet." He joked, making Ibeyla laugh, "Anyways, good luck on your mission, and watch it, the bandit leader has a Shield Liger and several of the others have Zaber Fangs and Helldigunners*, so you'll have to be on your guard."
"Don't worry about me Major, I have Obscura and Raven with me!" Ibeyla said cheerfully, wrapping her arms around her Organoid's neck, which purred happily and nuzzled her cheek, "And you know Ethereal won't let me down! She'll take down those bandits in no time! I'll be just fine, you don't need to worry!" she beamed, giggling childishly as Obscura licked her cheek.
"I know you'll be alright Ibeyla, but that doesn't mean I don't worry…" Karl said, ruffling up her hair slightly, "… you know I think of you as a daughter, ever since I lost my wife and daughter to the war*, and I can't bear the thought of losing you or Thomas or Raven…"
"Ahh Karl!" Ibeyla said quietly, letting go of Obscura and hugging Karl, "Don't worry! I won't go away, I promise! And I'll make sure Raven comes home safe and sound too! You know I can take care of myself, you don't have to worry; I'll be back in no more than five, maybe six days. Raven and I will be just fine, it's just a simple search and destroy mission; we've been on worse! So nothing to worry about!"
"Yeah… I hope so…" Karl said quietly as Ibeyla let him go, "… be safe and best of luck. And make sure you keep Raven from doing anything rash; we don't need him getting hurt… again…" Ibeyla chuckled slightly, "… I'll see you when you get back. Be safe!" he said as he turned to leave, waving goodbye. Ibeyla waved back, but looked over as Obscura nosed her shoulder, clutching a small violet object in her jaws.
"Yes… I see it Obscura…" she sighed, patting the Organoid's head. Obscura growled happily and wagged her tail, her mouth stretching into a toothy grin. Ibeyla giggled and scratched her behind her crest, making Obscura coo in pleasure and close her glowing eyes. The sound of footsteps tore her attention from her purring Organoid, making her turn back around. She smiled as she saw Raven walking towards her, a somewhat distressed look about him. That somewhat confused and concerned her, but she pushed those thoughts from her mind and waved at her friend as he walked over to her.
Raven walked down the pasty grey hallway, his gaze downcast to the floor, Prozen's words weighing heavily on his thoughts. 'Could Shadow really revolt like that? Would he really kill me… or eat me? I doubt it, Shadow has only given me a thorough licking, not hurt me. But… he has been acting oddly. He got that strange, hungry look in his eyes when I cut my hand working on the Zaber. Maybe his instincts tried to take control, but he managed to fight them? I don't know…' he pondered the information, not knowing whether Shadow truly was a threat or not.
Lost in his thoughts, he subconsciously walked towards the Zoids hanger, knowing Ibeyla would be waiting for him there. He lifted his head as he neared the hangar, blinking his amethyst eyes, trying to push away the distressing thoughts. Ibeyla and Obscura were both standing near the entrance to the hangar, the blue-haired Zoidian waving at him and smiling warmly. He sighed and looked down briefly, wondering if he should tell Ibeyla about what Prozen had said. 'She would probably freak out if she knew… so I better just keep it to myself…' he decided, not wanting to worry the Zoidian with such a minor concern.
"Hello Raven!" Ibeyla's voice shook him from his thoughts as he stopped in front of her, "Ready to go smash those bandits?" she added innocently, smiling.
"Almost, I just need to go get Shadow from my quarters, and then I'll be ready." Raven said, starting to turn to go fetch his Organoid, but the Zoidian grabbed his shoulder lightly.
"Wait a minute Raven, I want to give you something…" she said as she turned to Obscura, plucking something from the pastel Organoid's jaws. Raven turned to face her as she spun back around. "Here Raven!" she beamed, holding out a small, violet lily, "This is a Tiger Star Lily! They're supposed to bring good luck and protection, and I wanted you to put it in your quarters, so you'd have good luck and stay safe during the mission!" she said excitedly, placing the delicate flower in Raven's hand.
"Thank you Ibeyla…" Raven said, looking at the flower curiously, "I'll get it some water and put it in my quarters…" he nodded, turning to walk back.
"You're welcome!" she smiled, "See you in a few minutes!"
Raven waved half-heartedly and started down the hallway that led to his quarters. As he walked, he glanced down at the fragile bloom in his hand. 'Good luck, huh? I don't need luck on such a simple mission, but a little bit wouldn't hurt…' he stopped at his door and pushed a button, causing it to open.
Not even bothering to flip on the lights, he walked in and stopped by the small nightstand near his bed. On it was a small lamp, a cup, an alarm clock that was a little worse for wear due to him hitting it constantly to make it stop so he could sleep longer, a bottle of water, and some papers on the training runs he and Ibeyla had been running. He picked up the cup and poured a little of the water in it, placing the delicate flower in it. Setting it down, he reached out and moved the curtains slightly, letting in a thin beam of light that struck the flower and washed through the room.
As he looked down at the statistic papers that were scattered across the small table, he didn't hear the low rumble that came from his bed. He didn't see the dark form curled up in the shadows twitch slightly, beginning to wake from an uneasy slumber. Raven finally heard, a heavy exhaled breath breaking the uneasy silence, prompting him to glance over at his bed. Something large was writhing and shifting beneath one of his blankets, whining softly, as if in pain. Raven leaned over his bed and looked down at the hidden object, slowly reaching towards the edge of the blanket to pull it away. Just before his fingers touched the fabric, a deep, threatening growl rumbled from beneath the blanket, making him freeze. Despite the warnings his mind told him, Raven peeled back the blanket, exposing Shadow. The Organoid was bent in an awkward position that looked painful; his eyes shut tightly and mouth twisted into a silent snarl, looking as if he was in extreme agony.
'What's wrong with him? Is he all right? Is he hurt?' Raven thought, looking down at his Organoid in concern. He had never seen Shadow like this, and it worried him. "Shadow?" he asked quietly, touching the ebony Organoid's shoulder. Shadow thrashed suddenly at his touch, his eyes flashing open, the dimly glowing orbs holding a feral flame. Raven blinked at the sudden movement, meeting Shadow's gaze, the burning hunger of his eyes freezing him to the spot.
Before he could even breathe or call for help, Shadow lunged with jaws open wide, an unearthly snarl tearing from his throat as his maw snapped shut…
People shouting, people screaming, wordless screams of pain. Sand and stone torn and crushed, slick with blood and rain. Flashes of color as people moved around him, faces and bodies blurred and unrecognizable. Muffled cries of fear and panic reached his ears, but the screams registered nothing. His body was numb to the cold stinging of the rain, as to the sticky blood that coated his bladed talons and razored fangs. No conscious thoughts flashed through his mind, only a bestial desire…
Kill.
He lifted his head and bellowed, his thunderous roar bringing forth more screams from his victims. A flash of lightning, the deafening thunder, another cry of agony. Cool rain beaded down his face, tainted crimson from the clinging blood, streaking his muzzle with lines of red as it streamed downward. Fierce wind howled in his ears, as if roaring a challenge to him. He opened his jaws and hissed, blood and saliva dripping from his hungry maw. Hot breath surged from his throat as he snarled, eyes darting from blur to blur, unable to distinguish between prey and stone with his instinct-distorted mind and eyes.
A flash of movement, a wordless shout, another blaze of light as electricity ripped the night apart. He lunged with open jaws, leaping at the movement without a single thought. His lips touched rough fabric, his instincts forcing his maw closed, razored teeth sinking into soft flesh. A scream of agony and pain met his ears, hot blood filling his mouth as he reared back, tearing his victim apart. His prey gasped and crumpled to the stone, body unmoving and life extinguishing as a surge of light burned in the sky. He tilted his head back, grinned as the warm liquid slid invitingly down his throat, and listened to the thunder cracking around him.
From his right, a scream of horror, another flurry of movement. He twisted his head around and roared, the heated blood streaming from his jaws. A cry of terror and fear, a blur of motion, and he lunged again. His talons dug into his new victim, tearing through flesh and bone, bringing forth an agonized scream. A thud as his prey fell to the ground, its lifeblood pouring from the wound, staining the rain-darkened stone a blackened crimson.
He smirked, the delicious scent of blood filling the air around him, making him lick his lips hungrily. More movement, a horrified gasp, meaningless words issuing from the being at the canyon mouth. He turned and roared, a beastly howl of hunger and fury. No movement, no scream, no sounds of panic from the new prey. He stalked over to this new victim, a growl of hunger rumbling from his needing belly. The others hadn't satisfied him enough, he needed more; he needed to sate his hunger for flesh and killing. His new prey didn't try to flee as the others had, didn't tremble under his gaze, but he could smell the fear his victim was experiencing as clearly as the blood that covered him.
Not amused with this new prey, he lowered his gaze to his victim's level, an inch of saturated air separating them. His prey whimpered almost inaudibly and shuddered, making him smirk, enjoying this new victim's terror and fear. Again his prey spoke, but talk could not reach him, his instincts to kill and feed drowning out the human's words. A flare of lightning chased the darkness for a moment, the booming thunder shaking the very ground beneath him. The sudden light and sound made his prey blink, giving him the chance to strike.
Snarling hungrily, he pounced on his prey, pinning his victim beneath him. He grinned darkly and licked his lips, watching his prey's panicked struggles intently, saliva filling his mouth as another growl of hunger bubbled in his stomach. His victim cried out in fear and frustration, squirming beneath his claws, making him growl in dark amusement. Hunger welling in his belly, he focused again on feeding, opening his jaws wide as he prepared to tear his victim apart.
"Shadow?"
He froze, his jaws an inch above his helpless victim's stomach. The voice, distant and hushed, and yet powerful enough to break through the barrier around his mind from the instincts, called to him. He blinked in surprise, confusion filling him, a flood of thoughts rushing into his mind as the instincts' control waned slightly. He snarled and snapped his head back, jumping to his feet, shaking his head and roaring loudly.
A sudden, light touch on his shoulder, warmth spreading from the contact, shattered his instincts. Panic and confusion surged through him, his mind reeling from the sudden release, everything muddled and twisted. He stepped backwards, roaring again with eyes squeezed shut, lunging forward blindly, trying to drive away whatever had touched him.
Fabric brushing his lips, warm skin grazing his tongue, and he reacted the only way he knew how…
"Ahh!"
Shadow snapped out of his daze with a start at the scream, feeling a familiar warmth in his mouth. He relaxed his jaws, blinking his eyes as he felt something being pulled from his maw. His vision was blurry from both being woken so quickly and from the fading shock; it seemed as if the room was spinning. He heard a loud thump as something heavy fell to the floor in front of him, making him snap his head back reflexedly. A strange warmth dripped down his jaws, making him lick his lips curiously, and he froze when he recognized the unmistakable, delicious, taste of blood.
Shocked to find his jaws coated in blood, Shadow shook his head and blinked furiously, making his vision clear. He peered over the edge of the bed to where he had heard the thump, and his eyes widened when he saw Raven. His young 'partner' was pressed against the opposite wall, biting his lip to keep from screaming, grabbing frantically at his wrist. Shadow blinked and purred to him, making him look up at him.
"What the Helkat was that for?!" Raven hissed in pain through gritted teeth, wincing as he put pressure on the shallow gash. Shadow growled a soft reply, knowing Raven wouldn't understand that he hadn't meant it, that it had been an accident.
"Were you having a nightmare or something?" Raven managed to force out, pain written all over his face. Shadow rumbled and nodded slowly, getting to his feet, spitting the little remaining blood from his mouth.
"Figured…" he muttered, "… you were thrashing around a lot…" he reached over and managed to pull open the small drawer of his nightstand, blindly rummaging through it in search of anything useful. He somehow succeeded in locating a small cloth, which he slowly pulled out, but something else fell out of the drawer with it, landing with a quiet click. Shadow whined loudly when he realized it was the remote to the restraining collar around his neck, seeing the object bringing back memories of pain.
"Settle down boy… you know I wouldn't use that on you…" Raven reassured him, rolling up his sleeve and wrapping the cloth gingerly around his lower arm. Only one of Shadow's large teeth had caught his arm, but that one fang had torn away a good inch of his skin from the top of his wrist. Shadow fumed quietly to himself, feeling extremely guilty about hurting his new 'partner' as he watched Raven tend to his wound.
Blood stained the dark fabric of the boy's sleeve, the crimson liquid dribbling down the human's arm from the gash. Shadow was transfixed on the fluid that dripped from his partner's wound, feeling his senses heighten, a rumble of hunger building inside him. A spark flashed in his sapphire eyes, a deep growl emanating from his throat. Raven lifted his head at the sound, although Shadow's eyes were locked on the blood dripping from his arm.
"Shadow?" Raven asked quietly, breaking the instinct's grasp over him. Shadow blinked as the glow faded from his eyes, tilting his head slightly and rumbling. "Shadow, are you alright?" Raven asked again, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. Shadow purred reassuringly, climbing down off the bed. He clomped over to his fallen 'partner' and picked him up from the floor, trying to ignore the scent of the fresh blood.
"Well… thanks to your little nightmare, we're ten minutes late…" Raven groaned, seeing the time on the clock, "… we better hurry, it'll take a few days to reach those bandits' last known location, and I don't want to stay out there any longer than I have to, especially with you acting like you are…" Shadow cocked his head and growled lowly, making Raven sigh. "You don't understand anything I say, do you?" he muttered somewhat to himself as he bent down and picked up the remote to the restraining collar, shoving it in his pocket.
'Of course I do Raven, you just can't hear me…' Shadow thought to himself, rumbling outwardly as he followed Raven out of the room, the door shutting behind him as they started down the hall, 'If you bothered to let me into your mind, I could bond with you and lock these instincts away, but you resist my attempts…' the black Organoid seethed in his mind, narrowing his eyes slightly as he gazed at his 'master', '… can you not see I am trying to protect you, Raven? I have little control over the feral side of my nature, it is a great danger to you, hatchling. When you woke me, my instincts reacted… had I not been slowed by sleep, that would have been your throat in my jaws… I would have killed you, young one. Even though you think I am nothing more than a tool for war, I possess emotions no different than you or your 'sister', Ibeyla, and causing pain to you would bring pain to me. The only way I can protect you is if you let me enter into your mind…'
'… For if you don't, my predatory instincts will drive me to kill you…'
.:End of Chapter 1:.
AN- Um… I'm going to go hide in a corner now. Just uh… no flames, and please be gentle… really gentle… I wrote this nearly a year ago so… yeah. Sorry about the dream, it just sorta… happened. ^^; But here is the big question- was that dream of the past? Or the future? Something for you to ponder. XP This fic will get bloodier, so prepare. The reason I'm posting this is because it marks me being on for a almost a year now… and I've hit a wall with my other fics. But please, no yelling, threats, or throwing sharp, pointy objects. I'm allergic to stab wounds. XP
*1- Gunther is Prozen's first name. Since Ibeyla sees Prozen more as family, it seems natural that she would call him by his first name.
*2- a Helldigunner is a tan lizard-type Zoid commonly used by bandits and bounty hunters. Two members of Stinger's gang had Helldigunners, as did several people under Hiltz.
*3- I made that up. We never really know if Karl had a family, but I decided he should have had one but lost them to the war. That gives him a reason to want to see peace between the two sides, right? And, it also is a reason why he semi-adopted Ibeyla and Raven. We never really know Karl's age either, but I guess he was in his early/mid thirties in CC, while Thomas was in his mid/late twenties.
~Ibeyla ^^